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Voidweaver
A Voidweaver is a specialised open-topped, anti-gravitic gunship utilised exclusively by the mysterious Eldar Harlequins. Sleek and sinister, Voidweavers swoop into battle with balletic grace. Boasting a veritable arsenal of heavy weaponry, these gunships leave flaming devastation in their wake. Their every salvo sees enemies punched off their feet in sprays of blood as storms of shuriken scream through the air. Armoured vehicles that catch the attention of the craft’s gunner are vaporised in conflagrations of prismatic light, or suffer sudden catastrophic systems failure under a barrage of haywire energy. Even those enemies who avoid the violent fury of the Voidweaver's attack run are not safe, for its aft cannon lays down a withering hail of fire to butcher those left cowering in its wake. History Harlequins straddle the line between Craftworld Eldar and their dark kin of Commorragh, residing in that grey area between noble austerity and wicked depravity. As a result, their weapons and wargear often have different origins, some created by craftworld Bonesingers, some manufactured by Dark Eldar artisans and others a deadly combination of the two. The Starweavers and Voidweavers of the Harlequins are a prime example of this technological fusion, the sleek shape of the two craft reminiscent of both the Eldar Vyper and the Dark Eldar Venom. The long nose and rib-like anti-grav plates are similar in design to the Eldar craft while the crew compartment shares much with the Dark Eldar one, the balustrades very similar to those on the Venom and the Raider. The wings are a combination of Dark Eldar Razorwing engine design and Eldar Hemlock Wraithfighter vanes and aerofoils. The result is two vehicles that, like their pilots and passengers, straddle the line between the darkness and the light. The same can be said about the primary weapons carried by the Voidweaver. While both are unique to the Harlequins, both echo familiar weapon designs. The Haywire Cannon is the big brother of the Haywire Blaster used by the Dark Eldar while the Prismatic Cannon is the little sister of the Fire Prism's main gun. While the haywire cannon is uncannily similar to those carried by Scourges, the prismatic cannon has a different way of focusing its energy, the lasers surrounding the psychocrystal focusing inwards or aiming outwards depending on the gunner's requirements. All Eldar and Dark Eldar vehicles feature large curving armour panels, and those of the Harlequins are no exception. The howl of heavy weapons heralds the arrival of the Voidweavers, as enemy positions erupt into flames and confusion as the sleek gunships scream overhead. Cannons blazing, they plunge deep into the heart of the foe before blasting their way to freedom again amid welters of blood and showers of actinic sparks. Considering their lightweight build, Voidweavers carry an extremely heavy loadout of firepower. However, their lightweight psychoplastics and gravimetric weaves ensure that Voidweavers are in no way encumbered by their arsenal. Instead, the potent combination of versatile heavy weapons, hypervelocity attack runs and polychromatic camouflage make these streamlined vehicles exceptionally dangerous. A full squadron can easily rip apart a heavy battle tank, or reduce a squad of the foe to smoking offal with a single volley. Operating as ambush hunters, they strike before the enemy realises their danger, and scream away before return fire can be brought to bear. An unusual feature of the Voidweaver is its rear-facing shuriken cannon, which can either be operated manually by the Harlequin gunner or left to follow reactive patterns under the guidance of its targeting matrix. The weapon's placement allows it to guard the Voidweaver's rear, laying down sawing arcs of fire against any foe foolish enough to pursue the gunship. More than one overconfident Land Speeder pilot or Ork Warbiker has discovered to their cost that, even unmanned, these hind-guns are lethal indeed. Even the location of the Voidweaver's aft weapon possesses a ritual significance for the Harlequins. The vehicle itself is named after the second of the Cosmic Serpent's brood. The legends tell that, ever in its elder brother’s shadow, the Voidweaver became an ill-tempered, brooding creature. It would fight at the slightest provocation, and revelled in proving its superiority over others. Meanwhile, its caution was such that it sprouted a second head, looking always behind so that the Voidweaver would never be surprised by its foes. In the mythic stories, this serpent never allowed Cegorach to ride upon its back, but after the Laughing God bested it in a trial of cunning the Voidweaver lent its strength to Cegorach's own, acting as his sentry and accomplice on numerous occasions. Just as the serpent watched over Cegorach, so do Voidweaver crews lend their strength in support of their comrades. Assuming the part of fanged huntsmen, they are cold and taciturn, yet their scowls turn to hungry grins when given the chance to shed the blood of their foes. Unit Composition *'1 Voidweaver' (Skimmer, Fast, Open-topped) Wargear *'Haywire Cannon' - Haywire Cannons can cripple armoured targets with electromagnetic blasts. *'Two Shuriken Cannons' - Shuriken Weapons fire lethally sharpened discs at high velocities, cutting their targets to pieces. *'Holo-Fields' - Harnessing kinetic energy to distort the vehicle's silhouette, Holo-Fields prevent the foe from targeting vulnerable areas. *'Mirage Launchers' - These pods launch holo-grenades that veil Harlequin vehicles from sight, surrounding them in a confusion of light and colour. Sources *''Codex: Harlequins'' (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 12, 46-47, 63-64, 91-94, 140, 188-189 *''White Dwarf Weekly Magazine'' #55 (14 Feb 2015), "Voidweaver," pp. 7-9 Gallery Voidweaver Rune.png|The Voidweaver rune incorporates twin prongs representing the two heads of the mythical serpent after which it is named. Harlequin Numerical Runes.png|Harlequin masques typically use a system of numerical runes to distinguish individual vehicles within their squadrons of Skyweavers and Voidweavers. The transition of the Eldar numbering system from the diamonds of unity to the arrows symbolic of their race is heavy with meaning. Voidweaver_Midnight Sorrow.png|The rune of the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow can be clearly seen on the carapace-hood of this Voidweaver, and is replicated on its fins. Voidweaver_sideview.png|The Voidweaver bears the colours and iconography of its masque, as well as showing simple numerical runes upon one flank to assist its identification within the squadron. Voidweaver Squad Marking.png|The squadron to which a Voidweaver belongs is indicated by both the colour and order of the panels on its stabilising fins. Voidweaver 2.jpg|The Voidweaver features an aft-mounted shuriken cannon. While the Voidweaver's gunner busies himself with the enemy, the aft shuriken cannon can be used to fire at other targets. Voidweaver_underside Mirage Launchers.png|On the underside of the Voidweaver's hull can be seen two banks of mirage launchers. In the heat of battle they hurl holo-grenades around the Voidweaver, making it harder for the enemy to target it. Voidweaver_Haywire Cannon.png|The Voidweaver’s gunner operates the vehicle's main gun -- either an electromagnetic haywire cannon (shown here) or a prismatic cannon, a high-powered laser capable of both coruscating blasts and deadly focussed beams. Veiled Path Voidweaver.png|Voidweaver of the Masque of the Veiled Path, armed with shuriken cannons and a haywire cannon es:Tejedor del Vacío Category:V Category:Eldar Category:Eldar Technology Category:Eldar Vehicles Category:Harlequin Category:Vehicles